Runner bean
Runner bean
Phaseolus coccineus
📋Quick Facts
Height
2.0-3.0m
Spread
0.3-0.5m
Water
💧💧 Average watering
Hardiness
Zone 7-11
About
Sow runner bean seed indoors from mid-April, or direct outdoors from late May. Plant out after the last frost: mid-May in southern England, early June in the north. Runners are tender annuals (RHS H1c) needing 2.5 m of vertical space and a sunny sheltered spot. Build a wigwam or row of canes set in deep rich soil with plenty of compost dug in. Pick the pods young and often from late July — leaving them on the plant shuts down production. Pollination depends on bumblebees, and hot dry weather can give a poor set even on otherwise healthy plants. The most reliable climbing bean for UK conditions.
How to grow runner bean
- 1
Build the support
Late April. Tie 2.5 m bamboo canes or hazel poles into a wigwam (5–6 canes around a 1 m diameter) or a row of crossed pairs. Sink each cane 30 cm into the ground for stability.
- 2
Sow seed
Late April indoors in deep modules (root-trainers if you have them); late May direct outdoors. Indoors: one seed per pot, 5 cm deep, 18°C. Outdoors: two seeds per cane, 5 cm deep, thin to the strongest after germination.
- 3
Prepare the bed
Fork compost or well-rotted manure into the planting area. Runners are gross feeders and need rich, moisture-retentive soil.
- 4
Plant out
After the last frost. Indoor-raised plants harden off for 7–10 days first. Set one plant at the base of each cane. Water in well.
- 5
Train and tie in
Twine the young growth around the cane in the direction it wants to go (clockwise for most). Tie loosely with twine if it won't grip. They climb 30 cm a week once warm.
- 6
Water and pinch
Water deeply every few days from flowering onwards. Once the leading shoot reaches the top of the cane, pinch it out to encourage side-shoots and more flowers.
- 7
Pick young and often
From late July. Pick beans at 15–20 cm before the pods get stringy. Picking daily during the peak keeps the plant producing through to September.
Common questions
Pest Resilience
Blackfly, slugs, and halo blight can be problematic; pinch out tips to deter blackfly.
Companion Planting
Visual Characteristics
Fruits
Harvest: Summer to autumn / fall
Culinary
Stews, salads, steamed, pasta, stir-fries, casseroles, minestrone
The runner bean year in your garden
How to Propagate
This plant produces viable seeds for propagation
Hardiness Zones
USDA 10–11 equivalent